Annette Funicello dead at 70

FILE - In this March 24, 1959 file photo, Walt Disney studio's new star, 16-year-old Annette Funicello, poses with her Shaggy Dog doll, at Idlewild Airport in New York. Walt Disney Co. says, Monday, April 8, 2013, that Funicello, also known for her beach movies with Frankie Avalon, has died at age 70. (AP Photo/File)

The former “Mickey Mouse Club” star, who became a national treasure in America thanks to a string of 1960s cult beach movies, including “Beach Blanket Bingo” and “Muscle Beach Party,” passed away at a Bakersfield, Calif. hospital.

Funicello battled multiple sclerosis during her final years and reports suggest she slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness. The actress went public with her condition 20 years ago. Multiple sclerosis robbed her of her ability to walk and talk.